Novel galanin receptor

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a novel receptor for galanin which has been designated as galanin receptor 2. The invention encompasses both the receptor protein as well as nucleic acids encoding the protein. In addition, the present invention is directed to methods and compositions which rely upon either GAL-R2 proteins or nucleic acids.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 10/359,285 filed Feb. 6, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/981,700 filed Jan. 7, 1998, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,562,945 on May 13, 2003, which is the U.S. National Stage filing of International Application Serial No. PCT/SE97/01217 filed Jul. 4, 1997, which claims priority to Swedish Application SE 9602822-0 filed Jul. 19, 1996.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the general field of biological receptors and the various uses that can be made of such receptors. More specifically, the invention relates to nucleic acids encoding a novel galanin receptor and the receptor protein itself.

BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART

Galanin is a small (29-30 amino acid) neuroendocrine peptide which does not belong to any known peptide family (Bedecs et al., Int. J. Biochem. Cell. Biol. 27: 337-349 (1995)). It is widely distributed in the central nervous system and other tissues, and has been reported to have a large number of diverse biological and pharmacological activities. Galanin has been reported to: (a) promote growth hormone release (Bauer et al., The Lancet 2:192-195 (1986)); (b) inhibit glucose-induced insulin release (Ahren et al., FEBS Lett. 299:233-237 (1988)); (c) regulate motility in the gastrointestinal tract (Fox-Thelkeld et al., Gastroenter-ology 101: 1471-1476 (1991)); (d) stimulate feeding behavior (Crawley et al., J. Neurosci 10:3695-3700 (1990)); and (e) impair cognitive function (Mastropaolo et al., Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85:9841-9845 (1988)).

Of particular pharmacological interest are galanin's analgesic effects (Post et al., Acta Physiol. Scand. 132:583-584 (1988)). In the spinal cord, galanin inhibits nociceptive reflexes and potentiates the analgesic effect of morphine (Wiesenfeld-Hallin et al., Neurosci. Lett. 105:149-154 (1989)). Target administration of galanin hyperpolarizes dorsal horn neurons and chronic administration of a galanin receptor antagonist after axotomy has been reported to markedly increase autonomy in rats (Verge et al., Neurosci. Lett. 149:193-197 (1993)). These observations indicate that galanin, like morphine, has strong anti-nociceptive actions in vivo. Thus, the known pharmacological effects of galanin suggest potential therapeutic applications as an anesthetic or analgesic in animals and humans.

Galanin exerts its effects by binding to membrane-bound receptors. The cDNA for one such receptor (“GAL-R1”) has been cloned from both humans and rats (Habert-Ortoliet et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91:9780-9783 (1994); Burgevin et al., J. Mol. Neurosci. 6:33-41 (1995)). High levels of rat GAL-R1 mRNA have been found in the ventral hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, and medulla oblongata of the brain and in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord (Burgevin et al., supra). Pharmacological data obtained using galanin fragments, agonists and antagonists have suggested that more than one type of receptor may be responsible for galanin's actions (for a review, see Valkna et al., Neurosci. Lett. 187:75-78 (1995)). The isolation and characterization of new receptors for galanin would be highly desirable to assist in the discovery and development of therapeutic agents for altering galanin activity in vivo.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is based upon the discovery of a novel galanin receptor (“GAL-R2”) which is distinct from previously reported receptors in terms of structure, tissue distribution and binding characteristics. Receptors from both the rat and human have been isolated and sequenced. As used herein, the term “GAL-R2” refers to the receptor from either of these species unless the text, expressly or by context, indicates otherwise.

In its first aspect, the invention is directed to proteins, except as existing in nature, comprising the amino acid sequence consisting functionally of rat GAL-R2 (as shown in FIG. 1) or consisting functionally of human GAL-R2 (as shown in FIG. 2). The term “consisting functionally of” refers to proteins in which the sequence of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 has undergone additions, deletions or substitutions which do not substantially alter the functional characteristics of the receptor. Thus, the invention encompasses proteins having exactly the same amino acid sequence as shown in the figures, as well as proteins with differences that are not substantial as evidenced by their retaining the basic, qualitative ligand binding properties of GAL-R2. The invention further encompasses substantially pure proteins consisting essentially of a GAL-R2 amino acid sequence, antibodies that bind specifically to GAL-R2 (i.e. that have at least a 100 fold greater affinity for GAL-R2 than any other protein), and antibodies made by a process involving the injection of pharmaceutically acceptable preparations of such proteins into an animal capable of antibody production. In a preferred embodiment, monoclonal antibody to GAL-R2 is produced by injecting the pharmaceutically acceptable preparation of GAL-R2 into a mouse and then fusing mouse spleen cells with myeloma cells.

The invention is also directed to a substantially pure polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence consisting functionally of the sequence of rat GAL-R2 (as shown in FIG. 1) or human GAL-R2 (as shown in FIG. 2). This aspect of the invention encompasses polynucleotides encoding proteins consisting essentially of the amino acid sequences of in the figures, expression vectors comprising such polynucleotides, and host cells transformed with such vectors. Also included is the recombinant rat and human GAL-R2 proteins produced by host cells made in this manner. Preferably, the polynucleotide encoding rat GAL-R2 has the nucleotide sequence shown in FIG. 1 and the polynucleotide encoding human GAL-R2 has the nucleotide sequence shown in FIG. 2. It is also preferred that the vectors and host cells used for the expression of GAL-R2 use these particular polynucleotides.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for assaying a test compound for its ability to bind to GAL-R2. This method is performed by incubating a source of GAL-R2 with a ligand known to bind to the receptor and with the test compound. The source of GAL-R2 should be substantially free of other types of galanin receptors, i.e. greater than 90% of the galanin receptors present should correspond to GAL-R2. Upon completion of incubation, the ability of the test compound to bind to GAL-R2 is determined by the extent to which ligand binding has been displaced. A preferred source of GAL-R2 for use in the assay is a cell transformed with a vector for expressing the receptor and comprising a polynucleotide encoding a protein consisting essentially of the amino acid sequence shown in FIG. 1 (rat GAL-R2) and FIG. 2 (human GAL-R2). Instead of using cells in the assay, a membrane preparation can be prepared from the cells and this can be used as the source of GAL-R2. Although not essential, the assay can be accompanied by the determination of the activation of a second messenger pathway such as the adenyl cyclase pathway. This should help to determine whether a compound that binds to GAL-R2 is acting as an agonist or antagonist to galanin.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for assaying a test compound for its ability to alter the expression of GAL-R2. This method is performed by growing cells expressing GAL-R2, but substantially free of other galanin receptors, in the presence of the test compound. Cells are then collected and the expression of GAL-R2 is compared with expression in control cells grown under essentially identical conditions but in the absence of the test compound. In preferred embodiments, the cells expressing GAL-R2 are cells transformed with an expression vector comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a protein consisting essentially of the amino acid sequence shown in FIG. 1 (rat GAL-R2) or FIG. 2 (human GAL-R2). A preferred test compound is an oligonucleotide at least 15 nucleotides in length and comprising a sequence complimentary to a sequence shown in one or both of the figures. The preferred method for determining receptor expression is by means of a receptor binding assay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: The composite nucleotide sequence and corresponding translated amino acid sequence (in single letter code) of rat GAL-R2 is shown. The nucleic acid sequence has been given the designation SEQ ID NO:1 and the amino acid sequence, SEQ ID NO:2.

FIG. 2: The composite nucleotide sequence and corresponding translated amino acid sequence (in single letter code) of human GAL-R2 is shown. The nucleic acid sequence has been given the designation SEQ ID NO:3 and the amino acid sequence, SEQ ID NO:4.

FIG. 3: The amino acid sequences of rat GAL-R2 (RGALR2.PRO), rat GAL-R1 (rGALR1.PRO), human GAL-R2 (HGALR2.PRO) and human GAL-R1 (hGALR1.PRO) are aligned to show regions of homology. The residues in the HGAL-R2 sequence that are shared with other sequences are boxed. In order to optimize alignment, gaps were created at several places in GAL-R2 sequences and these gaps are indicated by black boxes. The rGALR1.PRO sequence has been designated as SEQ ID NO:5; and the hGALR1.PRO sequence as SEQ ID NO:6.

FIG. 4: The saturation isotherm of ¹²⁵I-galanin binding to membranes from rat GAL-R2-expressing HEK-293 cells is shown. Increasing concentrations of radiotracer were incubated with the membranes, binding was allowed to reach equilibrium, and then the reaction was filtered as described under Example 3. Nonspecific binding was measured in the presence of 1 μM of unlabeled galanin and was subtracted from total binding to obtain specific binding.

FIG. 5: FIG. 4 shows the results of binding assays in which unlabeled galanin and galanin-related peptides were allowed to compete with labeled galanin for GAL-R2 sites. The data has been converted to percentages, with binding in the absence of competitor serving as 100%. No inhibition was observed when binding assays were performed in the presence of peptides unrelated to galanin.

FIG. 6: Galanin attenuated the stimulation of adenyl cyclase by forskolin in a dose-dependent manner in HEK-293 cells expressing GAL-R2. Panel A shows the basal level of cAMP in cells not treated with either forskolin or galanin (C); the effect of 1 μM galanin (G); the effect of 0.1 mM forskolin (F); and the effect of 1 μM galanin+0.1 mM forskolin (F+G). In panel B, cells were incubated in the presence of 0.1 mM forskolin alone or in the presence of forskolin with various concentrations of galanin. Intracellular cAMP was then extracted and measured by enzyme immunoassay as described in Example 4. Results are expressed as percentages, where 100% is the value obtained in the presence of forskolin alone.

Definitions

The description that follows uses a number of terms that refer to recombinant DNA technology. In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of the specification and claims, including the scope to be given such terms, the following definitions are provided.

Cloning vector: A plasmid or phage DNA or other DNA sequence which is able to replicate autonomously in a host cell, and which is characterized by one or a small number of restriction endonuclease recognition sites. A foreign DNA fragment may be spliced into the vector at these sites in order to bring about the replication and cloning of the fragment. The vector may contain a marker suitable for use in the identification of transformed cells. For example, markers may provide tetracycline resistance or ampicillin resistance.

Expression vector: A vector similar to a cloning vector but which is capable of inducing the expression of the DNA that has been cloned into it, after transformation into a host. The cloned DNA is usually placed under the control of (i.e., operably linked to) certain regulatory sequences such as promoters or enhancers. Promoter sequences may be constitutive, inducible or repressible.

Substantially pure: As used herein, “substantially pure” means that the desired product is essentially free from contaminating cellular components. Contaminants may include, but are not limited to, proteins, carbohydrates or lipids. One method for determining the purity of a protein or nucleic acid is by electrophoresing a preparation in a matrix such as polyacrylamide or agarose. Purity is evidenced by the appearance of a single band after staining.

Host: Any prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell that is the recipient of a replicable expression vector or cloning vector is the “host” for that vector. The term encompasses prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells that have been engineered to incorporate a desired gene on its chromosome or in its genome. Examples of cells that can serve as hosts are well known in the art, as are techniques for cellular transformation (see e.g. Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd ed. Cold Spring Harbor (1989)).

Promoter: A DNA sequence typically found in the 5′ region of a gene, located proximal to the start codon. Transcription is initiated at the promoter. If the promoter is of the inducible type, then the rate of transcription increases in response to an inducing agent.

Complementary Nucleotide Sequence: A complementary nucleotide sequence, as used herein, refers to the sequence that would arise by normal base pairing. For example, the nucleotide sequence 5′-AGAC-3′ would have the complementary sequence 5′-GTCT-3′.

Expression: Expression is the process by which a polypeptide is produced from DNA. The process involves the transcription of the gene into mRNA and the translation of this mRNA into a polypeptide.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to the GAL-R2 receptor proteins, genetic sequences coding for the receptors, a method for assaying compounds for binding to GAL-R2 and a method for assaying compounds for their ability to alter GAL-R2 expression. The receptors and their nucleic acids are defined by their structures (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) as well as by their tissue distribution and binding characteristics.

With respect to structure, it will be understood that the present invention encompasses not only sequences identical to those shown in the figures, but also sequences that are essentially the same and sequences that are otherwise substantially the same and which result in a receptor retaining the basic binding characteristics of GAL-R2. For example, it is well known that techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis may be used to introduce variations in a protein's structure. Variations in GAL-R2 introduced by this or some similar method are encompassed by the invention provided that the resulting receptor retains the ability to specifically bind to galanin or galanin-like peptides. Thus, the invention relates to proteins comprising amino acid sequences consisting functionally of the sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 (rat) and SEQ ID NO:4 (human).

I. Nucleic Acid Sequences Coding for GAL-R2

DNA sequences coding for GAL-R2 are present in a variety of tissues, any of which may serve as a source for the isolation of nucleic acid coding for the receptor. In rats, spinal cord and brain tissues are among the preferred sources with the dorsal ganglia of the spinal cord and the hippocampus, mammillary bodies and cerebellum of the brain being especially preferred. In addition, cells and cell lines that express GAL-R2 may serve as a source for nucleic acid. These may either be cultured cells that have not undergone transformation or cell lines specifically engineered to express recombinant GAL-R2.

Many methods are available for isolating DNA sequences and may be adapted for the isolation of GAL-R2 nucleic acid (see for example Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd ed., Cold Spring Harbor Press (1989)). One preferred method for rat GAL-R2, illustrated in Example 1, is to screen a cDNA library that has been prepared by reverse transcribing mRNA isolated from tissues or cells known to express GAL-R2. The library may be prepared from, for example, rat dorsal root ganglia or from brain tissue. A rat brain stem spinal cord cDNA library in ZAP II has been found to produce suitable results. A similar method can be used for human GAL-R2 or, alternatively, a human DNA library can be screened as described in Example 7.

It is expected that a wide variety of probes specific for GAL-R2 can be used equally well for the screening of cDNA libraries. One way to easily produce a large amount of probe is to use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the desired sequence from a cDNA library. For example, PCR may be performed on a cDNA library from rat dorsal root ganglia using the primers: (SEQ ID NO:7) TM2: 5′-GGCCGTCGACTTCATCGTC(AorT)(AorC)(TorC)CTI (GorT)CI(TorC)TIGC(A, C, GorT)GAC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:8) TM7: 5′-(AorG)(C, AorT)(AorT)(AorG)CA(AorG)TAIATIA TIGG(AorG)TT-3′

The letter “I” in the sequences above, is the abbreviation for inosine.

Amplified fragments can be size fractionated on an agarose gel and the selected fragments (e.g., fragments 400-1,000 base pairs in length) inserted into an appropriate vector (e.g., pGEM-T). The vector may be introduced into competent cells (e.g., DH5 cells) by any of the established methods for cell transformation, e.g., by calcium phosphate precipitation. Transformed cells containing the DNA of interest may be identified by again performing PCR with the TM2 and TM7 primers. The DNA inserts present in these cells are excised, purified and labeled with ³²P. The labeled DNA fragments thus produced are used as probes for screening a cDNA library for GAL-R2. The presence of the correct sequence in selected cells may be confirmed by DNA sequencing and, if necessary, partial clones may be spliced together to form a full-length sequence.

Although the above procedure is known to be suitable for obtaining GAL-R2 nucleic acid, it is expected that alternative techniques can be developed with relatively little effort. Thus, cDNA libraries may be screened using probes synthesized based upon the GAL-R2 sequence shown in FIG. 1 for rats and shown in FIG. 2 for humans. In general, probes should be at least 14 nucleotides long and should not be selected from regions known to be highly conserved among proteins, e.g., the transmembrane domains of G-protein linked receptors. Alternatively, using the sequences shown in the figures, it should be possible to select PCR primers that amplify the full-length GAL-R2 sequence. The same techniques that have proven successful in the rat and human can be used to obtain GAL-R2 sequences from other species as well.

II. Production and Isolation of GAL-R2 Recombinant Protein

In order to express recombinant GAL-R2, the structural sequence for the protein described above must be placed in a vector containing transcriptional and translational signals recognizable by an appropriate host. The cloned GAL-R2 sequences, preferably in double-stranded form, are inserted into the expression vector in an operable linkage, i.e., they are positioned so as to be under the control of the vector's regulatory sequences and in such a manner that mRNA is produced which is translated into the GAL-R2 amino acid sequence.

Expression of the GAL-R2 receptor protein in different hosts may result in different post-translational modifications that can, potentially, alter the properties of the receptor. Preferably, nucleic acid encoding GAL-R2 is expressed in eukaryotic cells, especially mammalian cells. These cells provide post-translational modifications which, inter alia, aid in the correct folding of the receptor protein. Examples of an appropriate vector, pCDNA3-GAL-R2, and host, HEK293 cells, are given in the Example 2.

Other mammalian cells that may be used include, without limitation, NIH-3T3 cells, CHO cells, HeLa cells, LM(tk−) cells etc. Vectors suitable for use in each of these various cell types are well known in the art (see e.g. Sambrook et al., supra). Preferred eukaryotic promoters include that of the mouse metallothionein I gene; the TK promoter of Herpes virus; the SV40 early promoter; and the yeast GAL4 gene promoter. Some examples of suitable prokaryotic promoters include those capable of recognizing T4 polymerases, the P_(R) and P_(L) promoters of bacteriophage lambda, and the trp, recA, heat shock and lacZ promoters of E. coli.

Expression vectors may be introduced into host cells by methods such as calcium phosphate precipitation, microinjection or electroporation. Cells expressing the GAL-R2 receptor can be selected using methods well known in the art. One simple method for confirming the presence of the receptor nucleic acid in cells is to perform PCR amplification using the procedures and primers discussed above. The presence of functional receptor may be confirmed by performing binding assays using labeled galanin.

Once cells producing recombinant GAL-R2 receptor have been identified, they may be used in either binding assays or in assays designed to identify agents capable of altering GAL-R2 expression. Alternatively, membranes may be isolated from the cells and used in receptor binding assays.

III. Antibodies to GAL-R2

The present invention also is directed to antibodies that bind specifically to GAL-R2 and to a process for producing such antibodies. Antibodies that “bind specifically to GAL-R2” are defined as those that have at least a one hundred fold greater affinity for GAL-R2 than for GAL-R1 and any undenatured protein not binding galanin. The process for producing such antibodies may involve either injecting the GAL-R2 protein itself into an appropriate animal or, preferably, injecting short peptides made to correspond to different regions of GAL-R2. The peptides should be at least five amino acids in length and should be selected from regions believed to be unique to the GAL-R2 protein. Thus, highly conserved transmembrane regions should generally be avoided in selecting peptides for the generation of antibodies. Methods for making and detecting antibodies are well known to those of skill in the art as evidenced by standard reference works such as: Harlow et al., Antibodies, A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, N.Y. (1988)); Klein, Immunology: The Science of Self-Nonself Discrimination (1982); Kennett, et al., Monoclonal Antibodies and Hybridomas: A New Dimension in Biological Analyses (1980); and Campbell, “Monoclonal Antibody Technology,” in Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, (1984)).

“Antibody,” as used herein, is meant to include intact molecules as well as fragments which retain their ability to bind to antigen (e.g., Fab and F(ab)₂ fragments). These fragments are typically produced by proteolytically cleaving intact antibodies using enzymes such as papain (to produce Fab fragments) or pepsin (to produce F(ab)₂ fragments). The term “antibody” also refers to both monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies. Polyclonal antibodies are derived from the sera of animals immunized with the antigen. Monoclonal antibodies can be prepared using hybridoma technology (Kohler, et al., Nature 256:495 (1975); Hammerling, et al., in: Monoclonal Antibodies and T-Cell Hybridomas, Elsevier, M. Y., pp. 563-681 (1981)). In general, this technology involves immunizing an animal, usually a mouse, with either intact GAL-R2 or a fragment derived from GAL-R2. The splenocytes of the immunized animals are extracted and fused with suitable myeloma cells, e.g., SP₂O cells. After fusion, the resulting hybridoma cells are selectively maintained in HAT medium and then cloned by limiting dilution (Wands, et al., Gastroenterology 80:225-232 (1981)). The cells obtained through such selection are then assayed to identify clones which secrete antibodies capable of binding to GAL-R2.

The antibodies, or fragments of antibodies, of the present invention may be used to detect the presence of GAL-R2 protein using any of a variety of immunoassays. For example, the antibodies may be used in radioimmunoassays or in immunometric assays, also known as “two-site” or “sandwich” assays (see Chard, T., “An Introduction to Radioimmune Assay and Related Techniques,” in Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, North Holland Publishing Co., N.Y. (1978)). In a typical immunometric assay, a quantity of unlabelled antibody is bound to a solid support that is insoluble in the fluid being tested, e.g., blood, lymph, cellular extracts, etc. After the initial binding of antigen to immobilized antibody, a quantity of detectably labeled second antibody (which may or may not be the same as the first) is added to permit detection and/or quantitation of bound antigen (see e.g. Radioimmune Assay Method, Kirkham et al., e.d., pp. 199-206, E & S. Livingstone, Edinburgh (1970)). Many variations of these types of assays are known in the art and may be employed for the detection of GAL-R2.

Antibodies to GAL-R2 may also be used in the purification of either the intact receptor or fragments of the receptor (see generally, Dean et al., Affinity Chromatography, A Practical Approach, IRL Press (1986)). Typically, antibody is immobilized on a chromatographic matrix such as Sepharose 4B. The matrix is then packed into a column and the preparation containing GAL-R2 is passed through under conditions that promote binding, e.g., under conditions of low salt. The column is then washed and bound GAL-R2 is eluted using a buffer that promotes dissociation from antibody, e.g., buffer having an altered pH or salt concentration. The eluted GAL-R2 may be transferred into a buffer of choice, e.g., by dialysis, and either stored or used directly.

IV. Assay for GAL-R2 Binding

One of the main uses for GAL-R2 nucleic acids and recombinant proteins is in assays designed to identify agents, other than galanin, capable of binding to GAL-R2 receptors. Such agents may either be agonists, mimicking the effects of galanin, or antagonists, inhibiting the effects of galanin. Of particular interest is the identification of agents which bind to the GAL-R2 receptors and modulate adenyl cyclase activity in the cells. These agents have potential therapeutic application as either analgesics or anesthetics.

An example of an assay that may be used for detecting compounds binding to GAL-R2 is presented in Example 4. The essential feature of this assay is that a source of GAL-R2 is incubated together with a ligand known to bind to the receptor and with the compound being tested for binding activity. The preferred source for GAL-R2 is cells, preferably mammalian cells, transformed to recombinantly express the receptor. The cells selected should not express a substantial amount of any other receptor which binds galanin, e.g., GAL-R1. This can easily be determined by performing galanin binding assays on cells derived from the same tissue or cell line as those recombinantly expressing GAL-R2 but which have not undergone transformation.

The assay may be performed either with intact cells or, preferably, with membranes prepared from the cells (see e.g. Wang, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90:10230-10234 (1993)). The membranes are incubated with a ligand specific for galanin receptors and with a preparation of the compound being tested. After binding is complete, receptor is separated from the solution containing ligand and test compound, e.g. by filtration, and the amount of binding that has occurred is determined. Preferably, the ligand used is galanin detectably labeled with a radioisotope such as ¹²⁵I. However, if desired, fluorescent or chemiluminescent labels can be used instead. Among the most commonly used fluorescent labeling compounds are fluorescein isothiocynate, rhodamine, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, o-phthaldehyde and fluorescamine. Useful chemiluminescent compounds include luminol, isoluminol, theromatic acridinium ester, imidazole, acridinium salt, and oxalate ester. Any of these agents which can be used to detectably label galanin will produce a ligand suitable for use in the assay.

Nonspecific binding may be determined by carrying out the binding reaction in the presence of a large excess of unlabelled ligand. For example, ¹²⁵I-galanin may be incubated with receptor and test compound in the presence of a thousandfold excess of unlabelled galanin. Nonspecific binding should be subtracted from total binding, i.e. binding in the absence of unlabeled galanin, to arrive at the specific binding for each sample tested. Other steps such as washing, stirring, shaking, filtering and the like may be included in the assays as necessary. Typically, wash steps are included after the separation of membrane-bound ligand from ligand remaining in solution and prior to quantitation of the amount of ligand bound, e.g., by counting radioactive isotope. The specific binding obtained in the presence of test compound is compared with that obtained in the presence of labeled ligand alone to determine the extent to which the test compound has displaced galanin.

In performing binding assays, care must be taken to avoid artifacts which may make it appear that a test compound is interacting with the GAL-R2 receptor when, in fact, binding is being inhibited by some other mechanism. For example, the compound being tested should be in a buffer which does not itself substantially inhibit the binding of galanin to GAL-R2 and should, preferably, be tested at several different concentrations. Preparations of test compound should also be examined for proteolytic activity and it is desirable that antiproteases be included in assays. Finally, it is highly desirable that compounds identified as displacing the binding of ligand to GAL-R2 receptor be reexamined in a concentration range sufficient to perform a Scatchard analysis on the results. This type of analysis is well known in the art and can be used for determining the affinity of a test compounds for receptor (see e.g., Ausubel, et al., Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, 11.2.1-11.2.19 (1993); Laboratory Techniques and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Work, et al., ed., N.Y. (1978) etc.). Computer programs may be used to help in the analysis of results (see e.g., Munson, P., Methods Enzymol. 92:543-577 (1983); McPherson, G. A., Kinetic, EBDA Ligand, Lowry-A Collection of Radioligand Binding Analysis Programs, Elsevier-Biosoft, U.K. (1985)). An example of the types of curves that may be obtained using this method is shown in FIG. 5 and examples of inhibitory constants for galanin-related peptides determined using binding assays are shown in Table 1.

The activation of a second messenger pathway may be examined by performing adenyl cyclase assays for compounds that have been identified as binding to the GAL-R2 receptor. These assays may be carried out as discussed in Example 5 or using any other method for determining cAMP concentration. Typically, adenyl cyclase assays will be performed separately from binding assays, but it may also be possible to perform binding and adenyl cyclase assays on a single preparation of cells.

V. Assay for Ability to Modulate GAL-R2 Expression

One way to either increase or decrease the biological effects of galanin is to alter the extent to which GAL-R2 is expressed in cells. Therefore, assays for the identification of compounds that either inhibit or enhance expression are of considerable interest. These assays are carried out by growing cells expressing GAL-R2 in the presence of a test compound and then comparing receptor expression in these cells with cells grown under essentially identical conditions but in the absence of the test compound. As in the binding assays discussed above, it is desirable that the cells used be substantially free of receptors for galanin other than GAL-R2. Scatchard analysis of binding assays performed with labeled galanin can be used to determine receptor number. The binding assays may be carried out as discussed above in section IV and will preferably utilize cells that have been engineered to recombinantly express GAL-R2 as described in sections I and II.

A preferred group of test compounds for inclusion in the GAL-R2 expression assay consists of oligonucleotides complementary to various segments of the GAL-R2 nucleic acid sequence. These oligonucleotides should be at least 15 bases in length and should be derived from non-conserved regions of the receptor nucleic acid sequence.

Oligonucleotides which are found to reduce receptor expression may be derivatized or conjugated in order to increase their effectiveness. For example, nucleoside phosphorothioates may be substituted for their natural counterparts (see Cohen, J., Oligodeoxynucleotides, Antisense Inhibitors of Gene Expression, CRC Press (1989)). The oligo-nucleotides may be delivered to a patient in vivo for the purpose of inhibiting GAL-R2 expression. When this is done, it is preferred that the oligonucleotide be administered in a form that enhances its uptake by cells. For example, the oligonucleotide may be delivered by means of a liposome or conjugated to a peptide that is ingested by cells (see e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,897,355 and 4,394,448; see also non-U.S. patent documents WO 8903849 and EP 0263740). Other methods for enhancing the efficiency of oligonucleotide delivery are well known in the art and are also compatible with the present invention.

Having now described the invention, the same will be more readily understood through reference to the following Examples which are provided by way of illustration and which are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Cloning of Rat Galanin Receptor-2 (GAL-R2)

A PCR-based homology screening strategy was used to isolate novel cDNA sequences encoding G protein-coupled receptors. Sequences likely to encode G protein-coupled receptors were amplified from rat dorsal root ganglia mRNA by reverse transcription PCR using the following primers: (SEQ ID NO:5) TM2: 5′-GGCCGTCGACTTCATCGTC (A or T)(A or C) (T or C)CTI (G or T)C I (T or C)T I GC(A, C, G or T) GAC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:6) TM7: 5′-(A or G)(C, A or T)(A or T)(A or G)CA (A or G)TAIATIATIGG(A or G)TT-3′

The templates for PCR amplification were synthesized using a “First Strand cDNA Synthesis Kit” (Pharmacia Biotech) and 400 ng of dorsal root ganglia poly A+ RNA. The first strand cDNA thus prepared was diluted two fold with distilled water, heated at 95 C for 3 minutes and quickly chilled on ice. 5 μL of the cDNA thus produced was then amplified with 50 pmoles of each of the TM2 and TM7 primers and 2.5 units of Taq DNA polymerase in 50 mM KCl, 1.5 mM MgCl₂, 10 mM Tris (HCl), and 200 μM dNTPs, pH 9.0. The reaction tubes were heated at 95° C. for one min. and then subjected to 40 cycles of denaturation (95° C./1 min), annealing (45° C./1 min) and extension (72° C./1 min). The final extension was performed for 10 min. The amplified fragments were analyzed and size fractionated on a 1.5% agarose gel. Fragments between 400 bp and 1000 bp in length were excised from the gel, purified using a Sephaglas BandPrep kit from Pharmacia, and inserted into a pGEM-T vector from Promega. The recombinant plasmids thus produced were used to transform competent DH5 cells.

Transformed cells were plated on ampicilline-containing 2YT agar plates and recombinant pGEM-T clones were selected by direct colony PCR using primers designed for T7 and SP6 promoters. The PCR conditions were exactly the same as above except 50 pmole each of T7 and SP6 primers were used instead of TM2 and TM7 primers. The annealing temperature was 50 C and 30 cycles were performed. Plasmid DNA was prepared from the clones containing recombinant plasmids using a “Wizard Miniprep DNA Purification System” (Promega Corporation) starting with 4 ml of bacterial culture. The DNA sequence from these clones was determined using the Sanger dideoxynucleotide chain termination method on denatured double-stranded plasmid templates using a T7 sequencing kit from Pharmacia.

The insert DNA fragment of clone 3B-21 was excised from the vector using Sac II and Nde I, isolated on an agarose gel and labeled with ³²P by random primed synthesis using a Ready-To-Go DNA labeling kit from Pharmacia. This labeled fragment was used to screen a rat brain stem spinal cord cDNA library in ZAP II (Stratagene). Filters were prehybridized for 2 hours at 42° C. in 50% formamide, 5×SSC, 5× Denhardt's solution, 1% glycine and 100 μg/ml denatured and sheared salmon sperm DNA. Hybridization with labeled probe was performed at 42 C for 18 hours in a solution containing 50% formamide, 5×SSC, 1× Denhardt's solution, 0.3% SDS and 100 μg/ml denatured and sheared salmon sperm DNA. Filters were rinsed twice in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at room temperature. They were then washed twice for 15 min in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 42 C, twice for 15 min at 42 C in 0.2×SSC, 0.1% SDS, twice with 0.05×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 55 C and finally in the same wash solution at 65 C.

Hybridization-positive phages were purified and their inserts rescued by helper phage mediated excision to yield plasmid DNAs. One clone, 21RSC4, contained the complete coding sequence for the receptor except for 51 bp of the 5′ region. This region was obtained by PCR and was then joined at the Bsu36I site at nucleotide number 16 of 21RSC4. Thus, 67 bp at the 5′-end of the coding region of the clone pBS/GALR-2 arose from a PCR-generated fragment.

Example 2 Structural Characteristics of Rat Galanin Receptor-2

The recombinant plasmid pBS/GALR-2 was found to contain an open reading frame of 372 amino acids, flanked by 3′ and 5′ untranslated regions of, respectively, 289 and 308 bp. The sequence of the open reading frame is shown in FIG. 1 along with the amino acid sequence of the encoded protein. The protein has a molecular mass of 40,700 daltons. Hydropathy analysis of the protein is consistent with a topography of seven transmembrane domains, indicative of the G-protein-coupled receptor family (Sprengel et al., “Hormone Receptors,” in Handbook of Receptors and Channels: G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Peroutka, S. J., ed., pp. 153-207, CRC Press (1994)). In addition, sequence analysis revealed that the open reading frame of pBS/GALR-2 contains several conserved structural features/residues found among the members of the neuropeptide receptor family, including: an asparagine in TM1 (Asn43); a leucine (Leu67) and an aspartic acid (Asp 71) in TM2; and an arginine (Arg123) and Tyrosine residue (Tyr124) in TM3. Other features of this GAL-R2 receptor gene are: potential sites for N-glycosylation in the amino terminus (Asn2, Asn11); the presence of several serines and threonines in the carboxyl terminus; and the presence of a second and third intracellular loop, which may serve as potential sites for phosphorylation by protein kinases.

A comparison of the rat GAL-R2 open reading frame with the sequences of human GAL-R2 and GAL-R1 receptors is shown in FIG. 3. Overall, rat GAL-R2 has an identity of about 53% at the nucleotide level and 35.5% at the amino acid level with rat GAL-R1 (Burgevin et al., J. Mol. Neurosci. 6:33-41 (1995)) and 34.8% with human GAL-R1 (Habert-Ortoli et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 919780-9783 (1994)). However the sequence homology is higher in the putative transmembrane domains. Respectively, the homologies between the known rat GAL-R1 and GAL-R2 in TM1 to TM7 are 37.5%, 67%, 41.6%, 25%, 50%, 33% and 50%.

Overall, it is apparent that GAL-R2 has a unique sequence that sets it apart from the other G-protein-coupled receptors or other members of the neuropeptide receptor subfamily. The amino acid residues essential for the binding of galanin to the GAL-R1 receptor have been identified as His264, His267, Phe282 and, to a lesser extent, Glu271. Only one of these residues, corresponding to His264, is conserved in GAL-R2.

Example 3 Recombinant Expression of Rat Galanin Receptor-2

To generate a mammalian expression vector, a 1.4 Kb Hind III-Bst-XI restriction fragment from pBS/GALR-2 was isolated and subcloned between the Hind III and BstX-I sites of pcDNA3 from InVitrogen, San Diego, Calif. This expression vector, designated pCDNA3/GALR-2, contains, in addition to the entire receptor coding sequence, 50 bp of 5′ untranslated sequence and 288 bp of 3′ untranslated sequence. Plasmid DNA for further analysis was prepared using the Qiaprep system from Qiagen.

A. Transient Transfection

HEK293s cells were obtained from Cold Spring Harbor laboratory. They were maintained in culture medium at 37° C., 5% CO₂ and diluted 10 fold every 3 days. The cells were inoculated in 80 cm² flasks (2×10⁶ cells per flask) in Dulbeco's Modified Essential Medium (DMEM, Gibco BRL), supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 100 U/ml penicillin, 100 μg/ml streptomycin and 0.25 μg/ml fungizone. One day after inoculation, cells were transiently transfected using a modified CaCl₂ method (Maniatis, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (1989)) and 30 μg of plasmid DNA per flask. The cells were harvested 48 hours post transfection for ligand binding or signal transduction experiments.

B. Stable Transfection

HEK293s cells in 80 cm² flasks were transfected with 30 μg pCDNA3/GALR-2. After 21 days of selection in culture medium containing 600 μg/ml G418 resistant colonies were pooled and expanded for the radioligand binding and signal transduction studies.

Example 4 Binding Characteristics of Recombinantly Expressed Rat GAL-R2

A. Methods

A galanin binding assay was performed on the crude membranes prepared from pcDNA3/GALR-2 transfected cells. The cells were grown in 150 mm petri dishes to about 80% confluency. Before harvesting, the cells on the petri dishes were washed once with cold PBS (Gibco BRL). Cells were then scraped in ice cold PBS using a Teflon cell scraper. The cells thus harvested were gently centrifuged at 1500×g at 4 C, resuspended in membrane buffer, “MB” (20 mM HEPES pH 7.5 containing 10 μg/ml benzamidine, 5 μg/ml leupeptin, 5 μg/ml soybean trypsin inhibitor and 0.1 mM phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride) and were disrupted with a Polytron at a setting of ˜20,000 rpm for 30 sec. The disrupted cell suspension was centrifuged at ˜100,000×g for 60 minutes at 4 C using a fixed angle rotor in a Beckman L8-70M Ultracentrifuge. The pellet thus obtained was resuspended in the membrane buffer at a concentration of 1.0-1.5 mg/ml, aliquoted and frozen at −80 C until used.

The binding reaction was performed in a total volume of 100 μl of binding buffer (MB+0.4% bovine serum albumin) containing 5-10 μg membrane protein and 0.1 nM ¹²⁵I-galanin (2200 Ci/mmol, DupontNEN) with or without unlabeled competitors. Non-specific binding was estimated in the presence of 1 μM of unlabeled galanin. Binding reactions proceeded for 20 min at room temperature and were stopped by filtration through Unifilters-96, GF/B filters (Canberra Packard), using the 96-well Filtermate 196 filtration system from Canberra Packard. Filters were washed 5 times with 0.5 ml of ice cold 20 mM HEPES pH 7.5. The filters were dried at 55° C. for one hour and then 100 μl of μScint-20 (Canberra Packard) was added per well. Filters were counted with the Topcount microplate counter from Canberra Packard.

B. Results

When transfected into HEK293 cells, pCDNA3/GALR-2 resulted in the expression of specific ¹²⁵I-galanin binding sites. No specific ¹²⁵I-galanin binding sites were generated by the transfection of the vector itself or a control pCDNA3 expression construct encoding a delta-opioid receptor. A pool of stable HEK293 cells expressing the GAL-R2 receptor was generated by selecting pCDNA3/GALR-2 transfected cells using G418 and binding experiments were performed on the membranes of these cells. An example of the results from a binding experiment is shown in FIG. 4.

A single class of saturable ¹²⁵I-galanin binding site was detected with an estimated Kd for ¹²⁵I-galanin of 1.68±0.43 nM and a Bmax of 1-2 pmol/mg of crude protein. Various galanin related peptides were used in competition experiments performed using ¹²⁵I-galanin as a tracer. The competition curves for these peptides are displayed in FIG. 5 and the Ki values of the peptides tested are summarized in Table 1. TABLE 1 The inhibitory constants of galanin-related peptides for ¹²⁵I -galanin binding at GAL-R2 PEPTIDE Ki [M] Galanin 2.65 ± 0.07 · 10⁻⁹ Galanin(1-16) 1.23 ± 0.70 · 10⁻⁸ M15 3.68 ± 1.20 · 10⁻⁸ M40 8.30 ± 0.49 · 10⁻⁹ C7 1.89 ± 1.34 · 10⁻⁷

The binding of labeled galanin was displaced by galanin and galanin related peptides but not by galanin unrelated ligands (e.g. substance P, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, angiotensin II and dynorphin). The main difference between rat GAL-R1 and GAL-R2, however, lies in the recognition of the chimeric peptide C7, which is equipotent to galanin at the GAL-R1 receptor but is much less active at GAL-R2.

Example 5 Activation of cAMP

Stable pools of transfected cells were inoculated in 24 well plates and allowed to grow overnight. Before experiments, the cells were washed with PBS at 37 C and then covered with PBS containing 1 mM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). Cells in duplicate wells were stimulated for 10 minutes at 37 C either with forskolin (0.1 mM) alone, or in the presence of various concentrations of galanin or galanin-related peptides. cAMP was extracted in ethanol, lyophilized and resuspended in 0.5 mM assay buffer. Assay of cAMP was performed using either the Biotrack cAMP Enzyme-immunoassay System (Amersham) or the Cyclic AMP [³H] Assay System (Amersham).

It was found that the activation of rat GAL-R2 in stably transfected HEK293 cells leads to a significant inhibition of forskolin-stimulated accumulation of cAMP and that this inhibition occurs in a concentration-dependent manner (FIG. 6). Untransfected cells failed to exhibit this effect.

Example 6 In Situ Hybridization

A. Methods

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (˜300 gm; Charles River, St-Constant, Quebec) were sacrificed by decapitation. Brain, pituitary and spinal cord were promptly removed, snap-frozen in isopentane at −40 C for 20 s and stored at −80 C. Frozen tissue was sectioned at 14 μm in a Microm HM 500 M cryostat (Germany) and thaw-mounted onto ProbeOn Plus slides (Fisher Scientific, Montreal, Quebec). Sections were stored at −80 C prior to in situ hybridization.

The plasmid pCDNA3-GALR-2 was linearized using either XbaI or HindIII restriction enzymes which cut in the polylinker on either side of the inserted cDNA. Sense and antisense GAL-R2 riboprobes were transcribed in vitro using either T7 or SP6 RNA polymerases (Pharmacia Biotech), in the presence of [³⁵S]UTP (˜800 Ci/mmol; Amersham, Oakville, Ontario). Following transcription, the DNA template was digested with DNAse I (Pharmacia). Riboprobes were subsequently purified by phenol/chloro-form/isoamyl alcohol extraction and precipitated in 70% ethanol containing ammonium acetate and tRNA. The quality of labeled riboprobes was verified by polyacrylamide-urea gel electrophoresis.

Sections were postfixed in 4% paraformaldehyde (BDH, Poole, England) in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) for 10 min at room temperature (RT) and rinsed in 3 changes of 2× standard sodium citrate buffer (SSC: 0.15 M NaCl. 0.015 M sodium citrate, pH 7.0). Sections were then equilibrated in 0.1 M triethanolamine, treated with 0.25% acetic anhydride in triethanolamine, rinsed in 2×SSC and dehydrated in an ethanol series (50-100%). Hybridization was performed in a buffer containing 75% formamide, 600 mM NaCl, 10 mM Tris (pH 7.5), 1 mM EDTA, 1× Denhardt's solution, 50 mg/ml denatured salmon sperm DNA, 50 mg/ml yeast tRNA, 10% dextran sulfate, 20 mM dithiothreitol and [³⁵S]UTP-labeled cRNA probes (10×10⁶ cpm/ml) at 55 C for 18 h in humidified chambers. Following hybridization, slides were rinsed in 2×SSC at RT, treated with 20 mg/ml RNase IA in RNase buffer (10 mM Tris, 500 mM NaCl, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.5) for 45 min at RT and washed to a final stringency of 0.1×SSC at 65 C. Sections were then dehydrated and exposed to Kodak Biomax MR film for 10 days and/or dipped in Kodak NTB2 emulsion diluted 1:1 with distilled water and exposed for 3-4 weeks at 4 C prior to development and counterstaining with cresyl violet acetate. Neuroanatomical structures were identified according to the Paxinos and Watson rat brain atlas (Paxinos et al., The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates, Academic Press, N.Y. (1986)).

B. Results

The highest levels of rat GAL-R2 mRNA expression were observed in dorsal root ganglia with large, intermediate and small diameter cells being specifically labeled. Only diffuse labeling was observed throughout the dorsal and ventral horns of the spinal cord. In the rat brain, the highest densities of GAL-R2 mRNA labeling were detected in the dorsal hippocampus, mammillary bodies and cerebellum (in particular, Purkinje cell layer). More moderate labeling was detected in the pontine nucleus as well as in a specific cranial motor nucleus. Moderate to weak hybridization was detected throughout the cerebral cortices. Other cephalic areas such as the thalamus, the remaining hypothalamus, and basal ganglia were generally devoid of labeling. This distribution differs considerably from that reported for GALR-1 mRNA which is particularly well expressed in the ventral hippocampus, amygdala, supraoptic nucleus, several hypothalamic and thalamic nuclei, lateral parabrachial nucleus and locus coeruleus of rat brain.

The high level of GAL-R2 expression observed in dorsal root ganglia sensory neurons and more moderate levels observed in dorsal horn of the spinal cord is consistent with galanin's role in pain transmission. The presence of high levels of GAL-R2 in dorsal hippocampus and mammillary bodies is consistent with a role in cognitive function.

Example 7 Cloning and Structural Features of Human Galanin Receptor-2

A human genomic DNA library prepared from human placenta (Clonetech) in EMBL-3 vector was screened with a random labeled fragment (labeled with T7-Quick-Prime labeling kit cat. #27-9252-01, Pharmacia Biotech.) containing the complete coding region of rat GALR-2 cDNA. The prehybridization and hybridization conditions were as follows:

Prehybridization: 50% formamide, 5× Denhardt's solution, 5×SSC, 1% glycine, 100 g/ml sheared and denatured salmon sperm DNA at 42° C. for 5 hours.

Hybridization: 50% formamide, 1× Denhardt's solution, 5×SSC, 0.3% SDS, 100 g/ml sheared and denatured salmon sperm DNA overnight at 42° C.

Wash: A wash step was performed from the low stringency of 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 42° C. to the highest stringency of 0.2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 60° C. (65° C. for Southern blots).

Eight positive clones were identified which were processed for secondary screening under hybridization and washing conditions identical to the first. The secondary screening resulted in identification of four clones; the other four clones were considered false-positive. The four positive clones were processed for tertiary and quarternary screening in order to obtain pure clones.

DNA was purified from the four pure clones discussed above and was processed for restriction analysis and Southern blot hybridization in order to identify smaller fragments which yield a positive signal. Three positively hybridizing bands (of estimated sizes ˜5 kb, ˜3.2 kb and ˜0.7 kb) generated by the cleavage with Sac I and Rsa I restriction endonucleases (Pharmacia Biotech.) were identified by Southern blot hybridization. These bands were excised from the gel and subcloned into either Sac I or Eco RV digested pBlueScript KS(−) plasmid. The plasmid constructs were subjected to sequencing by Sanger dideoxy sequencing method (T7 Sequencing kit, Pharmacia Biotech. Cat. #27-1682-01) and the ABI Prizm Cycle Sequencing Kit (Cat. #402079, Perkin-Elmer) and the composite sequence was constructed.

The nucleotide sequence for human GALR-2 gene is depicted in FIG. 2. An open reading frame of 1155 nucleotides is present putatively encoding a protein of 385 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 41478 kD. There is a putative intron of more than 1000 nucleotide in length after base number 420. The intronic sequence has been removed from the finalized sequence reproduced in FIG. 2. The exon-intron boundaries were determined based upon the consensus sequences around 5′ and 3′ splice sites in vertebrate pre-mRNAs (Lodish et al. Molecular Cell Biology 3^(rd) Ed. Scientific American Books, pp 500; FIG. 4). At the protein level, 84.4% amino acids are identical between rat and human GALR-2; the identity between the human GALR-2 and the rat or human GALR-1 is about 34%.

All references cited herein are fully incorporated by reference. Having now fully described the invention, it will be understood by one of skill in the art that the invention may be performed within a wide and equivalent range of conditions, parameters and the like, without affecting the spirit or scope of the invention or any embodiment thereof.

Deposit of Biological Material

The plasmid HUMAN GALR-2 has been deposited under the Budapest Treaty at “Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen” (DSMZ), Braunschweig, Germany. The deposit number is DSM 11632, and the date of deposit is 26 Jun. 1997. 

1. A method for assaying a test compound for its ability to bind GAL-R2 comprising: incubating a source containing GAL-R2 but substantially free of other galanin receptors with: a ligand known to bind to GAL-R2; and the test compound; and determining whether the ligand binding to GAL-R2 is displaced by the test compound, wherein displacement of ligand binding indicates that the test compound binds to GAL-R2.
 2. A method of claim 1 wherein the source of GAL-R2 is a cell transformed with a vector for expressing rat GAL-R2, wherein the vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:2.
 3. A method of claim 2 wherein the polynucleotide comprises SEQ ID NO:1.
 4. A method of claim 1 wherein the source of GAL-R2 is a cell transformed with a vector for expressing rat GAL-R2, wherein the vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the protein further comprises additions, deletions or substitutions that do not substantially alter the binding of galanin.
 5. A method of claim 1 wherein the source of GAL-R2 is a membrane preparation from a cell transformed with a vector for expressing rat GAL-R2, wherein the vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:2.
 6. A method of claim 5 wherein the polynucleotide comprises SEQ ID NO:1.
 7. A method of claim 1 wherein the source of GAL-R2 is a membrane preparation from a cell transformed with a vector for expressing rat GAL-R2, wherein the vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the protein further comprises additions, deletions or substitutions that do not substantially alter the binding of galanin.
 8. A method of claim 1 wherein the source of GAL-R2 is a cell transformed with a vector for expressing human GAL-R2, wherein the vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:4.
 9. A method of claim 8 wherein the polynucleotide comprises SEQ ID NO:3.
 10. A method of claim 1 wherein the source of GAL-R2 is a cell transformed with a vector for expressing human GAL-R2, wherein the vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:4, wherein the protein further comprises additions, deletions or substitutions that do not substantially alter the binding of galanin.
 11. A method of claim 1 wherein the source of GAL-R2 is a membrane preparation from a cell transformed with a vector for expressing human GAL-R2, wherein the vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:4.
 12. A method of claim 11 wherein the polynucleotide comprises SEQ ID NO:3.
 13. A method of claim 1 wherein the source of GAL-R2 is a membrane preparation from a cell transformed with a vector for expressing human GAL-R2, wherein the vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:4, wherein the protein further comprises additions, deletions or substitutions that do not substantially alter the binding of galanin. 